Cigarette package and the like



Nov. 10, 1942.

L. F. OTTEN CIGARETTE PACKAGE AND THE LIKE Filed April 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 10, 1942.

L. F. OTI'EN CIGARETTE PACKAGE AND THE LIKE Filed A ril 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LAW/awe: l. OrrzN.

MQ M

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE PACKAGE AND THE LIKE Lawrence F. Otten, Fort Thomas, Ky.

Application April 9, 1941, Serial No. 387,716

11 Claims.

My invention relates to the provision of a pocket package for cigarettes or other small articles, and to novel modes of making it. A primary object of the invention is to make available a package which, while being cheap enough to be used as a single service container in which merchandise may be sold, has a large number of advantages over packages currently employed.

It is an object of my invention to provide a package for cigarettes or the like which, while containing the standard or usual number of articles constituting a sales unit, is nevertheless a more convenient pocket package, producing a less obvious bulge in the garments of the user.

It is an object of my invention to provide a pocket package which is easy of access and use, but which at the same time affords better protection of the contents remaining in the package as it is carried on the person, and better protects the garments of the user from the contents of the package. For example, my package not only conserves the freshness of cigarettes and protects them from physical damage in spite of the removal of some of the contents from the package, but it also protects the pockets of the user from loose tobacco.

It is an object of my invention to provide a package for articles requiring to be sealed for freshness, in which along with the aforesaid advantages, the articles may be divided into separate sealed groups so that one group may be kept in sealed condition until another group is entirely consumed.

It is an' object of my invention to provide a package which not only has greater utility, but also has enhanced attractiveness and sales appeal as compared with packages currently in use.

And it is an object of my invention to provide the aforesaid advantages and others as will appear hereinafter in a package so inexpensive that it may be discarded when the contents have been consumed; and to this end it is my object to provide novel and inexpensive methods of construction for my container.

The recited objects of my invention and others which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this specification, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts and in that method of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment which is a package for cigarettes, it being understood that, in its broader aspects, my invention is applicable to packages for a wide variety of other products such as can- 55 dies, med icaments and the like. Reference is now made to the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cut and scored blank for my package showing a preferred arrangement of side wall panels and corner connecting tabs.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the blank after the first folding operation has been completed.

Fig. 2a is a section taken along line 2a-2a of Fig.2.

Fig. 3 shows the blank after the second folding operation has been completed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 55 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5 showing a completed corner structure as viewed from the upper side of the tray seen in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a perspective showing a completed corner structure as viewed from the outer side of a tray.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of a completed tray forming part of my package.

Fig. 9 is a. side elevation showing a pair of the trays of Fig. 8 hinged together at their lower edges to form a novel case.

Fig. 10 is a perspective showing a completed case in open position, and having cigarettes packed therein, the seal on one of the trays having been broken, and part of the contents removed.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section taken along line H-H of Fig. 1 showing how the female half of a snap fastener may be attached to a blank before folding,

Fig. 12 is a section showing the snap member of Fig. 11 in the position it occupies after folding of the side walls.

Fig. 13 is a section taken along line l3l3 of Fig. 10 illustrating how the male member of a snap fastener may be attached to the case for cooperation with the female member of Figs. 11 and 12.

Fig. 14 is a plan view showing a blank for forming an alternate type tray.

Fig. 15 is a plan view showing steps in folding the side walls of this alternate tray.

Fig. 16 is a section taken on the line I 6-l6 of Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the application of adhesive to a corner connecting flap.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the completed alternate tray.

Fig. 19 is a section taken on line l9--l9 of Fig. 18, but showing cigarettes packed in the tray and a cover member applied.

Fig. 20 is a perspective showing a; completed case of the alternate type.

Fig. 21 is a perspective illustrating a frame member which may be employed for forming a tray of still another construction.

Fig. 22 is a section taken along line 22-22 of Fig. 21, but showing a cover member applied to the underside of the frame thus forming a tray.

Fig. 23 is a section similar to Fig. 22 but having a final outer cover member applied thereto,

and

Fig. 24 is an enlarged section taken along line 24-24 of Fig. 20 showing an alternate means for retaining the case in closed position.

- Referring first to Fig. 8, I have shown therein a preferred form of tray, having a main body panel I and side walls generally indicated at 2. This tray may be packed with cigarettes or other articles and covered with paper, Cellophane or other material having hermetic and impermeable properties, but preferably of a transparent nature, to form a closed package or tray containing the particular articles. The Cellophane or other cover material may be attached by a suitable adhesive to the upper surfaces of the side walls 2 and may be of suitable dimensions to cover only the open side of the tray, thus if the material forming the tray is of impermeable nature, an air-tight and moistureproof package or tray will result.

By joining a pair of the trays thus packed, as by a suitable hinge means at one edge of the pair, and providing a latch or other means to retain the hinged members in closed relation when desired, a new and very useful package is produced.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a preferred form of blank for forming the trays. As here shown the main body panel of the tray is of a rectangular outline defined by the score lines 3, 3, and 4, 4. Articulated to each of the score lines 3 is a series of panels'A, B, C, A, B and C which panels themselves are joined by intermediate score lines or lines of articulation. When folded as presently described, these panels form opposite side walls of a tray. Articulated to each of the score lines 4 is another series of articulated panels X, Y, Z, X, Y and Z which will be folded to form the remaining side walls of the tray.

As a fundamental part of the structure of my package, I provide thus a tray which is open at one side, and which is characterized by relatively thick and rigid members forming the side walls thereof. These rigid members may be, or may be likened to a frame which protects the contents from sidewise or endwise crushing forces, leaving them subject only to fiatwise compressive forces which will do no harm. But also the members forming the frame are of such width that their outer sides may be beveled or may be at an angle to the plane of the tray, and such that the corner portions of the frame may likewise be beveled. When a pair of such trays are assembled as described above, a package is produced which is not only relatively fiat, but which also is not characterized by side and end members lying at right angles to the face portions of the package, nor characterized by sharp corners and edges. Such a package fits the pocket better and, thickness for thickness, produces a less apparent bulge in the garments of the user.

The'panels B have extending angular portions 5 and panels A have articulated at either end the triangular portions 6. Panels B and Y have .at either end angular notches or cut out portions 1 and 8 respectively. Articulated at each end of the panels X are triangular portions 9, each of which has articulated thereto a triangular portion I0 and a rectangular portion H, for purposes which will hereinafter be described.

Referring to Fig. 2 which shows the first stage of the folding operation the opposite side wall panels A, B, C, A, B and C have been folded progressively on the score lines into triangular formation, and their overlapped relation is shown in Fig. 20. wherein the panel C isoverlapped by panel C, the panel B is overlapped by panel B and the panel A is overlapped by panel A. During the folding operation spots or stripes of adhesive (not shown) may be introduced be tween the various overlapped panels to retain same in the folded relation as shown, while the second folding operation is performed.

Fig. 3 shows the blank after the second folding operation has been completed; and by reference to Fig. 4 it will be observed that the procedure of folding or rolling is identical to that of the first operation, that is, the panel Z' is overlapped by panel Z and panels X and Y are overlapped respectively by panels X and Y. Also as in the first folding operation, adhesive may be introduced between the various overlapped panels to retain same in position while the third and final operation in completing the tray is performed. l

The introduction of adhesive between the various side wall panels as above mentioned serves also to impart increased rigidity to the side wall structure and is especially desirable when the tray is formed of light material. I have found by the use of a relatively stiff paper tenthousandths of an inch in thickness and by the introduction of adhesive between the over lapped side wall panels that trays of substantial rigidity for the packaging of cigarettes or other light articles may be produced, the said trays approximating, for example, 3% by 3- inches in overall width and breadth and having a perpendicular, inside, side wall depth of to 1 inch. With the use of materials substantially heavier and having greater rigidity than that above described the introduction of adhesive between the side wall members is unnecessary except as a convenient'means, if desired, for retaining the panels in their folded relation while the final operations to be next described are conducted.

With the side walls folded as seen in Fig. 3 adhesive is then applied to the corner connecting members 9, l0 and II as indicated at the lower right hand corner of that figure where portions of the side walls have been broken away. As illustrated at the other corners of the structure of that figure the various members 9, l0 and I I are. obscured by the overlying triangular portions 6 extending from side wall panels A. The adhesive may, however','readily be applied to the desired areas without misapplication to other areas by the simple expedient of turning or bending the various members 9, i0 and H downward about their lines of articulation to the panels X, or if this procedure is not convenient the side walls l2 and I3 (in Fig. 3) may be. turned upward and inward about their lines of articulation 3 to the main body panel I thus carrying the portions 6 to a position not analogous to wrapping operations current in the art, and prior to the filling of the contents into obstructing direct application of adhesive to the members 9, II and Ii.

With the adhesive applied to the corner connecting members as by either of the above methods, the four side wall structures are then turned about their lines of articulation to the main body panel to a position wherein the panels C and Z lie in planes substantially perpendicular to that of the body panel I. This final operation in erecting the side walls is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

With the side walls in their erected position as just described, the corner connecting panels 9 are bent about their lines of articulation to panels X until the panels 9 (having adhesive thereon) overlie the triangular portions 6 to be secured thereto as seen in Fig. 7. The triangular portions ill of the corner connecting members (also having adhesive) are then bent about their lines of articulation to the panels 9 to overlie and be adhered to the wall panels A as also clearly shown in Fig. '7. The rectangular corner connecting portions H are then bent about their lines of articulation to the panels 9 until they occupy a position as seen in Fig. 6 where the panel as there shown is adhered to an underlying -triangular portion of the wall panel B, to the triangular portion extending therefrom and to an underlying triangular portion of wall panel Y. Due to the notches or cut out portions 1 and 8 in the wall panels B and Y,-the tabs II lie in the same plane as the said panels so that a flush and even surface top is presented, as may be seen in Fig. 8. The completed tray, as above constructed, is illustrated in that figure.

Referring now to Fig. 9,, I have shown therein a pair of the trays of Fig. 8, which trays 20 and 2!, have been hinged together at their lower edges to form a cigarette case of novel and inexpensive construction. The hinge member here employed is merely a strip of paper or cloth 22 which is glued or otherwise adhered to the beveled edges of the trays. A simple means for holding the package in closed position is also illustrated. A rubber band or elastic cord 23 may be secured to the case by means of the hinge member 22 which overlies a portion of the band or cord and prevents loss thereof. When it is desired to retain the package in closed position, the upper portion of the band or cord is simply stretched and passed about the closed upper edges of the package so as to encircle it,

and the elasticity of the band or cord will retain the package in closed position.

When the trays 20 and 2| of the package shown in Fig. 9 have been packed with cigarettes or other articles to be merchandised, the package may be closed by means of the band or cord 23 and the entire package wrapped in Cellophane, Pliofilm, or the like, thus forming a container suitable for retail distribution of the articles.

The blanks for the trays may, as will be evident, be pre-printed or decorated so that the package of Fig. 10, for example, may be complete from the standpoint of sales appeal and the conveying of useful or necessary information, and so that such package may merely be wrapped with Cellophane if such wrapping be desired. Or the blanks may be left unprinted, and after the formation of the trays as in Fig. 8, the outer, exposed surfaces of the tray may be covered with printed paper by a wrapping operation,

the trays. Or again imprinted trays may be filled and the trays assembled to form a mechanically operative package, whereupon the whole may be covered with paper in adhesive union with the walls. With such a wrapped package, the wrapping would require severance along three of the edges at the meeting lines of the trays before the package could be opened as shown in Fig. 10, as can be readily understood. i

It will be apparent that I have provided an inexpensive package which serves the user as a neat, compact and novel case for the particular articles enclosed until they have been consumed, and which, because of its inexpensive construction, may then be discarded.

In Fig, 10 I have shown a package formed from two trays 24 and 25, which are hinged together as by the paper or cloth hinge 22 of Fig. 9. The tray 25 has been packed with cigarettes 26, and then covered with a sheet of Cellophane or the like 21, the Cellophane being adhered to the top face portions of the tray by suitable adhesive applied to the side wall faces B, B and Y, Y thereot A tear strip as commonly employed for convenience in opening packages wrapped in Cellophane or the like is indicated at 23.

I prefer to arrange the tear strip as shown so that a minor portion of the cover material will remain adhered to the tray as seen in the lower portion of the figure, where the tear strip and a major portion of the cover material have been removed'to make the cigarettes accessible. The

remaining portion 28a of the cover material serves to retain the cigarettes in the case and to prevent their unintentional or accidental dislodgement. The portion 28a of the cover material will not, however, prevent manual removal of the cigarettes as desired,

In Figs. 10 through 13 I have illustrated an alternate means for retaining the case in closed position. Referring first to Fig. 11 I may, by means of a drop of adhesive 30, attach to the wall panel A of certain blanks the female half 3| of a snap fastener which may be such as commonly employed in ladies garments. panel A may be perforated as at 32 to accommodate the socket portion of the snap member and panel A will be perforated as at 33 so that, after folding of the side wall panels to the position of Fig. 12, the member 3| will be accessible. The location of member 3| and the perforations 32 and 33 are also shown in Fig. 1.

The male half of the snap fastener is indicated at 34 in Figs. 10 and 13. This member may be mounted in various ways but I have indicated a paper or cloth tape 35 which is doubled upon itself as at 36 and adhered to the tray 25 at 31, the member 34 being retained between the folded portions of member 35 by any desired means such as stitching or adhesive.

In the modification shown in Figs, 14 through 20, and which is made from a different blank, the main body panel I a of the tray has articulated at 3a, 3a and 4a, 4a a series of side wall panels D, E, F, D and E which panels them selves are joined by score lines or intervening lines of articulation. Also articulated at the four corners of the main body panel are corner connecting flaps 50 which flaps, after the folding of the side walls, will be adhered to the triangular portions 5i articulated at either. end of the The panels D. Fig. 15 shows certain of the side walls in their folded or erected position, and Fig. 16 shows the overlapped relation of the various panels. During the folding or rolling of the side walls, introduction of adhesive between the various overlapped panels will be preferable and after the four walls have been erected the tray may be completed by applying adhesive to the corner flaps 50 and bending them about their lines of articulation to the main body panel until they overlie the triangular flaps In Fig. 17 the application of adhesive, prior to final folding of fiap 50, is indicated at 52.

This provides a tray which differs from the tray of Fig. 8 in that instead of being closed at the bottom or outer face and open at the top or inner face, the bottom or outer face of the tray is open in the structure of Fig. 18. I prefer to provide the main body panel la with a removable portion or tear-out 56 which is defined by lines of weakening or perforations 51. The tear-out may be smaller in area, as shown, than the area of the panel between the arms of the frame, so as to leave a portion to retain cigarettes or other articles while permitting their removal. Or the main body panel la may he died out to permit insertion of cigarettes from that side, and the provision of a seal as'in Fig. 10. In either event, a characteristic of this type of tray construction is that the folded side arms of the frame may be adhered to the panel portion Ia. This contributes to the rigidity of the structure and makes possible the simplified corner construction which has been described.

The bottom or rear part 54 of the tray may be of printed paper board, or of printed paper. Or

' the assembly of filled trays may be handled in any of the ways set forth above.

The tray thus formed is shown in Fig. 18; and in Fig. 19 I have shown this tray in section with cigarettes 53 packed therein and having a cover member 54 adhered to the side walls as: at 55. Thus a tray or package equivalent to those described in forming the case of Fig. results and a pair of these trays or packages may be hinged together to form the case illustrated in Fig.

p where one of the tear-out panels 56 has been removed making the cigarettes 53 available.

In Figs. 21 through 23, I have shown an alternate method of forming the tray or package of Fig. 19. As here shown the tray comprises a frame member 60 having adhered thereto a bottom member 6| and a closure or cover member 62. The frame may be molded or otherwise formed of a material such as paper pulp or wood pulp containing a suitable binder, a synthetic resinous material or any other suitable moulding substance and it will be apparent that either of the members 6| or 62 may form either the bottom or the cover of the tray, dependingupon which member is applied first. Also it may be desirable to continue the bottom member to cover the inner side walls of the frame as indicated by the dotted lines 63 at the right side of Fig. 22. The member 6| may be provided with a tearout panel 56 such as described in conjunction with Fig. 20, or if the member 6| is of a material such as Cellophane or Pliofilm a tear strip such as the strip 28 described in conjunction with Fig.-

10 may be employed.

Referring to Figs. 20 and 24 I have shown a further alternate means for retaining a case in closed position. As shown in those figures I have attached to the upper tray 65 a short length of pressure-adhesive tape 66, of the type commonly referred to as "Scotch tape," which tape has on one side an adhesive coating 61-. The properties of this tape are such that after being adhered to a surface the tape may be removed without destroying the adhesive properties of the coating 61. Thus the tape can be used repeatedly; and with the case in closed position it may be held closed merely by pressing the overhanging portion of the tape against the inclined side wall surface 68 of th lower tray. The tape will pref erably be folded upon itself as at 69 or otherwise provided with a non-adhesive outer end for c0nvenience in opening the case. When used repeatedly on paper or cardboard surfaces the tape 66 tends to accumulate fibres of the paper or board which eventually render the adhesive surface inactive. For this reason it is preferable that at least the surface 88 be provided with a coating rendering the paper fibres non-separable. As the blanks will normally be imprinted with a trade name or other matter the coating referred to may be an' area of varnish or lacquer applied during the printing process, or-a piece of the cellulose tape itself may be adhered to the surface 68 to prevent accumulation of the fibres on the surface 61. If the trays are formed of a laminated material having an outer ply orfilm of cellulose or the like, no means for preventing accumulation of the fibres will be required.

Likewise, it is possible to form by moulding or pulp-formation, a frame plus either the top or bottom of a tray, and to hand the structure so formed in any of the ways set forth above.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit of it. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a package of the character described, a pair of frames, and an assemblage of articles in each of said frames, means covering both faces of said frames whereby to retain the group of articles in each frame independently of the group of articles in the other frame, means hinging said frames together at one edge and releasable means for holding said frames in juxtaposed position, the covering on the inside face of each frame being removable to permit access to the articles in said frame, the outside lateral faces of each frame lying at an angle to the general plane of the package and the corner portions of each frame being likewise beveled.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 in which the entire recited assembly of parts is contained within a removable outer wrapping.

3. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein each frame is formed from a blank of paper board having a main panel forming the outer covering of said frame and articulated side panels adapted by progressive folding to form each one side rib of said frame including the inner frame face, certain of said side panels having articulated thereto a member for forming a corner portion of said frame, said corner portion having means for adhesive juncture to an adjacent rib.

4. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein each frame is formed from a blank of paper board having a main panel forming the outer covering of said frame and articulated side panels adapted by progressive folding to form each one side rib of said frame including the inner frame face, certain of said side panels having articulated thereto a member for forming acorner portion of said frame, said corner portion having means for adhesive juncture to an adjacent rib, and a portion for folding over onto a face portion of said frame, portions of said side panels forming the face portion of said frame being cut away to permit the attachment of said last mentioned part to underlying panel portions, whereby said last mentioned part in the assembly lies in the plane of the first portion of said frame.

5. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein each frame is formed rom' a blank of paper board having a main panel forming the outer covering of said frame and articulated side panels adapted by progressive folding to form each one side rib of said frame including the inner frame face, certain of said side panels having articulated thereto a member for forming a corner portion of said frame, said corner portion having means for adhesive juncture to an adjacent rib, and a portion for folding over onto a face portion of said frame, portions of said side panels forming the face portion of said frame being cut away to permit the attachment of said last mentioned part to underlying panel portions, whereby said last mentioned part in the assembly lies in the plane of the first portion of said frame, there being on certain of said side panel portions of said blank extensions adapted to lie within the corner portions of said frame and to form strengthening means underlying said corner forming portions.

6. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein each frame is formed from a blank of paper board having a main panel forming the outer covering of said frame and articulated side panels adapted by progressive folding to form each one side rib of said frame including the inner frame face, certain of said side panels having articulated thereto a member for forming a corner portion of said frame, said corner portion having means for adhesive juncture to an adjacent rib, a side panel portion of one of said blanks having attached thereto a part of a separable fastener, the said frames being fastened together at one edge by a hinge formed of a web adhesively secured to each frame, and one of said frames carrying at its opposite edge aprojecting strip of material containing the other part of said separable fastener adapted to coact with said first mentioned part to maintain the package in closed relationship.

'7. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said frames is formed of a blank of paper board, said blank having a main body panel adapted to form the inner face of a frame, and articulated side panel portions adapted to be progressively folded to form the ribs of said frame,

said ribs being adhesively secured to said face portion, said ribs having corner projections and said blank at the corners of said main panel having corner tabs adapted to be adhesively secured to said projections.

8. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said frames is formed of a blank of paper board, said blank having a main body panel adapted to form the inner face of a frame, and articulated side panel portions adapted to be progressively folded to form the ribs of said frame, said ribs being adhesively secured to said face portion, said ribs having corner projections and said blank at the corners of said main panel having corner tabs adapted to be adhesively secured to said projections, said main body panel being continuous by having a line of weakening therein demarking a removable portion,

9. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said frames is formed of a blank of paper board, said blank having a main body panel adapted to form the inner face of a frame. and articulated side panel portions adapted to be progressively folded to form the ribs of said frame, said ribs being adhesively secured to said,

face portion, said ribs having corner projections and said blank at the corners of said main panel having corner tabs adapted to be adhesively secured to said projections, each of said frame members having an after-applied covering on the outside thereof adhered to said rib portions.

10. In a package of the class described, a pair of frame members having each an outer covering, and being each characterized by an inner peripheral face of substantial width, said frame members being filled with contents and hinged together along one edge, and said frame members being covered on the other side each with a frangible sealing material adapted to cover the contents of its frame and peripherally secured to the said inner face of said frame.

11. In a package of the class described, a pair of frame members having each an outer covering, and being each characterized by an inner peripheral face of substantial width, said frame members being filled with contents andhinged together along one edge, and said fram members being covered on the other side each with a frangible sealing material adapted to cover the contents of its frame and peripherally secured to the said inner face of said frame, said frangible sealing material being Cellopane, and being provided with a tear strip crossing the contents in said frame and following at least a portion of the contour of said frame whereby said material may be removed in part only to permit access to the contents of saidv frame, another part remaining in place to retain articles in said frame while presenting said a :ticles for removal.

LAWRENCE F. O'IIEN. 

